If Duke shoots 40 times from outside they won't get to the line.tims4wins said:Guessing Cuse wont have a 2-1 advantage at the line in a rematch in Cameron too
Jason Williams thought it was a clean block too.DukeSox said:um...dont watch the ball, watch the arm. you fell for same thing ref did
That's the same vine Williams commented on acknowledging it was all ball. I happen to agree with the former Duke player. I'm not sure what you're seeing, but it is all ball up top and some grazing on the follow through after the block. Why rely on the vine, here's the full play:DukeSox said:And LeftyTG, just to completely blow you up, here is "all ball":
https://vine.co/v/MzD2UqOpi55
all arm brah
Yeah, he carried this team last night on his back. Quite a performance and much needed given the off nights from pretty much everyone else.ivanvamp said:Um. Trevor Cooney.
So, yeah.
Rakeem Christmas swats your negativity!Bucknahs Bum Ankle said:It would be great but Cooney seems to be so streaky, I'm not sure they're ever going to put it all together for any appreciable stretch of games. Also they have that tendency to play to the level of their competition. Makes for some exciting games, but I'm not sure how long they can keep it up. I keep expecting a true let down game and think the 1 ranking might just be the kiss of death. Regardless, it's been an amazing run!
Is this something new for JB, or has he always done it?LeoCarrillo said:Also, Jimmy seems very deliberate in running down the clock at the end of games. Say, up 6 or 7 with 2:00 left. Ennis holds it till single-digit seconds and drives, maybe kicks. They're not getting the best shot possible, but obviously the philosophy values time killing and trust in the D.
It's leading to a lot of games staying right around that 6 or 7 margin over the final couple minutes after Cuse hits the brakes. Or if the opponent hits a 3 or two and Cuse misses a free throw or two, a 9-point lead will go to say 5. Anyway, they're intentionally gliding in on a lot of these wins while killing the clock, FWIW.
ivanvamp said:22-0, 9-0 in the ACC, average margin of victory, 11.9 points.
Bucknahs Bum Ankle said:
It's been incredible! But their average margin of victory in the ACC is 9.1 and that includes two blowouts (20 and 12 points) against a terrible VT team. The 11.9 includes the likes of Cornell, Fordham, Colgate, Binghamton, and High Point. Plus they almost blew one against St. Francis. In general, they aren't really blowing away any decent teams. I hope they can keep it up, but was just pointing out that the thought they can put it all together and become this unstoppable powerhouse is probably a little misguided.
Edit: Also I tend to get a little pessimistic when things are going well. You just don't typically see teams hang on the number 1 ranking for very long.
DukeSox said:Is this something new for JB, or has he always done it?
Because this is Coach K 101, curious if has begun using it more after working closely with K recently, or if you're just pointing out what he's always done.
He's always done it, and for as long as he's done it Syracuse fans have complained about it (not saying anyone here is doing so). It's right up there with "Why didn't Boeheim play man to man there" and "Why doesn't Boeheim play more guys" in the pantheon of Syracuse fan complaints. I've been watching Syracuse games with my father since the mid 80's and his blood pressure still goes up about 30 points the last 2 minutes of every game when Syracuse inevitably goes into slow down mode. For the record, I like the strategy and have no problem with how Syracuse likes to take the air out of the ball. Depending on the team and game (and score obviously) sometimes Boeheim will start taking the air out of the ball at the 6:00 minute mark. That feels a bit excessive to me and it seems to take the team out of its offensive rhythm. But in the last 2-3 minutes? I think it pays dividends. I don't have the numbers to back it up, but my subjective sense watching almost every game all these years is that Syracuse is very good at holding onto leads. I'd also add that Syracuse's trademark poor foul shooting also tends to have a depressing effect on margin of victory, as you can almost always count on Syracuse missing free throws down the stretch.LeoCarrillo said:Not sure. Lefty may have a better sense of the timeline of clock killing.
I've just noticed that he's slowing it up a lot down the stretch against teams he's confident they can stop. Part of this is likely that Ennis can generate something decent with the clock down under 10.
And as Bilas pointed out, if they're up late by say 6, on defense the guards come out to deny a 3 and they'll take their chances on something inside.
Also, because of their athleticism, they're in the double-bonus a lot late so I'm sure Jimmy is factoring in at least 1 point per trip to the line, if not 2.
Maybe it's not that revolutionary, but it seems this year he's very aware of letting 10-point leads become 6-point wins while killing clock.
I don't agree with the bolded. I mean, if any guy gets hot from 3 against any defense, that hurts the team on defense. Guys get hot against man to man defenses too. One of the long standing misconceptions about Syracuse's zone is that you beat it by shooting over it. You could argue that Syracuse's defensive success is predicated on that misconception. Syracuse is almost always at or near the top of the conference in 3 point percentage defense. Syracuse, in my opinion, excels at ID'ing a shooting and shading the defense in that direction and will make adjustments in the zone to pay attention to a hot shooter. The zone will target a shooter and force him to shoot further and further away from the basket, and before you know it the guy who was 3/3 in 3's is now 3/8. Now Syracuse will be vulnerable if multiple guys get it going from deep, as they can't give particular attention to everyone (see the Duke game), but that holds true for any defense.bsj said:Someone (cant remember who) made a very good point when it comes to the Orange hoops team this year.
Because of their style, for better or worse, they are never going to be the type of team who can just blow away a team, even if they are significantly better. They are quick, efficient, and strong defensively, but if even one guy gets hot from 3, the zone will always leave teams in games.
What this means is that Syracuse is absolutely capable of winning the national title, but Syracuse fans will ge on the receiving end of heart attacks every single step of the way.
good post, I'm in line with your thinking here. I live in constant fear of if/when Ennis hits a wall physically. After having dominant teams lose key players heading into the tournament (Onuaku and Melo, respectively), I'm irrationally paranoid about Ennis.LeoCarrillo said:On the last point, Lefty, they aren't running as much. And aside from two games all year, Cornell and ND, I think that has suppressed Cooney's numbers. So be it.
But I wonder if their slower pace is occurring naturally or if Jimmy wants to slow it down. Or both.
Factors:
1. Ennis has no backup. But he's also generally cautious. I wonder if Jimmy is saving his legs, or he tires somewhat, or maybe that's just not his style to run roughshod.
2. The only other guy you'd want pushing the rock is Cooney, as far as having a handle, but you don't because he needs to be the guy to spot up on a delayed kick out for the 3. So, it's Ennis.
3. Thin bench. Jimmy doesn't want to wear down his six and a half regular players (Gbinije being a half until he proves trustworthy).
4. No pressing to create turnovers. I assume for same reasons of thin bench and player minutes. Plus, other than against Villanova, they've led most games.
5. Fewer steals up top. Granted, MCW and Triche were a tough act to follow.
6. Slow pace helps shape it into a half-court battle, which with our zone and killer front line is an advantage.
My guess that the lack of transition points is both organic, in Ennis' cautious floor generalship, and calculated by Boeheim as this particular team's best chance for success. They do pound the O glass in the halfcourt.
I trust Jimmy. But just imagine the highlight reel on Grant's dunks if this team was dedicated to pushing the ball. As it is, he racks up putback slams in the halfcourt.
LeoCarrillo said:On the last point, Lefty, they aren't running as much. And aside from two games all year, Cornell and ND, I think that has suppressed Cooney's numbers. So be it.
But I wonder if their slower pace is occurring naturally or if Jimmy wants to slow it down. Or both.
Factors:
1. Ennis has no backup. But he's also generally cautious. I wonder if Jimmy is saving his legs, or he tires somewhat, or maybe that's just not his style to run roughshod.
2. The only other guy you'd want pushing the rock is Cooney, as far as having a handle, but you don't because he needs to be the guy to spot up on a delayed kick out for the 3. So, it's Ennis.
3. Thin bench. Jimmy doesn't want to wear down his six and a half regular players (Gbinije being a half until he proves trustworthy).
4. No pressing to create turnovers. I assume for same reasons of thin bench and player minutes. Plus, other than against Villanova, they've led most games.
5. Fewer steals up top. Granted, MCW and Triche were a tough act to follow.
6. Slow pace helps shape it into a half-court battle, which with our zone and killer front line is an advantage.
My guess that the lack of transition points is both organic, in Ennis' cautious floor generalship, and calculated by Boeheim as this particular team's best chance for success. They do pound the O glass in the halfcourt.
I trust Jimmy. But just imagine the highlight reel on Grant's dunks if this team was dedicated to pushing the ball. As it is, he racks up putback slams in the halfcourt.
Rossox said:
No question IMO this is a direct result of #1 and #3 above. We knew coming into this year that guard depth would be an issue. Nothing has changed. You take Ennis off of this team and it's completely different script to the season. A quicker pace means tired legs. Tired legs equals being out of position on D, which leads to silly fouls. We cannot under any circumstances have Ennis in foul trouble.
Rossox said:Health is a concern with every team. You can't really predict that.
But yeah, the Onuaku injury still hurts. That team was positioned very well to win it all. No way they lose to Butler with him healthy. And no way the '12 team beats Kentucky even with Fab. But he cost them a Final 4 bid.
It is so not irrational. Every time he drives to the hoop I'm both terrified and ecstatic.LeftyTG said:I'm irrationally paranoid about Ennis.
Welcome. How many of us are actual SU grads? Not that you are any less of a fan if you aren't, but I'm just curious. I am, for one.benhogan said:Oh wow, didn't realize their was an Cuse thread on this site. Nice.
Sox and Syracuse hoops are my 2 favorite sports teams.
For better or worse, I'll be chiming in here.
Go Orange!